In running road races, e.g., marathons, half-marathons, 10-kilometer race, 5-kilometer races, other distance runs, or in cross-country ski races, there are typically water stations or water stops along the course where participants can grab a paper cup with water to re-hydrate during the race. Invariably, inexpensive common paper cups are used for this purpose because a large number of cups are required and the paper cups will be used only once and then discarded. The cups are usually filled and placed on a table alongside the race course where they can be grabbed quickly by a runner when passing the table, or where a volunteer can hand the container and water to the runner. In some cases, an electrolyte drink, e.g., Gatorade®, is served in the paper cups.
It is also possible that cone-style cups (with a pointed rather than flat base) could be used.
These water cups always have an open top, so that when the runner picks up the cup, much of the water (or other hydrating beverage) spills or splashes out. Many runners will crush or fold in the top part of the cup to try and prevent spilling, but this also results in some of the water spilling or squirting out, and moreover it is difficult to form any sort of drinking spout when the top is just crushed in that fashion.
There has been a need, and the need remains, for an inexpensive, disposable paper cup that can be used at water stations at road races, and which can be easily filled with water (or other beverage) and closed by volunteers at the water station, so the volunteers can hand off the cups to the runners without significant spillage. The closed cup limits fluid spillage during transfer from the volunteer to the racer when the racer grabs a cup from the table or from the volunteer. It is most desirable if the cup would also form a drink spout or opening when the flaps are folded in, so the runner can easily sip from the cup. The closed cup also allows more of the fluid to be drunk by the runner, for better hydration during the event. So that the cup can to be gripped with either hand of the runner or the volunteer at the water station, the cup should be symmetrical, so that it can close without any difficulty. However, to date no such disposable cup has been available.
A number of one-piece drink cups or containers have been proposed, e.g., for coffee, tea, or soft drinks, with built-in closures that can be folded down after the container is filled. However, these tend to be rather elaborate, with asymmetrical cuts and folds. As they have been specifically designed for coffee or similar beverage, they are not well suited for road-race water station use. Moreover, these fold-in coffee containers are costly to fabricate and produce, and would be too expensive for one-time use where there are multiple water stations and hundreds, or often thousands, of participants. This would be especially problematic where the distance run is being operated by a non-profit organization with a low budget for such supplies.